"SPOILER" doesn't do it justice. I read that on Hitfix the other day and while I only have myself to blame for that, it hinges on a massive, MASSIVE spoiler concerning Avengers 2 and beyond. I get the point that Moriarty is trying to make about misinformation, but don't think the article is worth the details it discloses.

Andrea Mandell wrote:When we brought up Lucy beating up Hercules at the box office this summer, Downey Jr. added (rather diplomatically), “The funny thing is honestly at this point everyone deserves a franchise. I think Jeremy Renner is — when folks see the Avengers: Age of Ultron he’s just a rockstar, a bada–. And Ruffalo is pumped. He does great (work). I’d like to hear them talk even more seriously about a Hulk franchise, because that’s been one of the toughest ones to get right. But I’m sure that my parent company is feeling expansive and and bold after the summer they’ve had.”

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MATT GOLDBERG wrote:More importantly, what does that mean for seeing Hulk carry his own feature?

RUFFALO: As far as a Hulk movie, a standalone Hulk movie, Marvel doesn’t really have the rights to that yet. That’s still Universal’s property, so there’s that issue. That’s a big impediment to moving forward with that. Now I don’t think that’s insurmountable, by the way, but I don’t know where it’s going from here for me.

DEVIN FARACI wrote:In my review of Avengers: Age of Ultron, I mentioned that the film didn’t have many of the fist-pumping moments that made The Avengers special. But it wasn’t always that way - the original script had a Hulk moment that was so good it would have been THE fist-pumping moment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It wasn’t in the final movie, and I didn’t know why. So I asked Whedon when I interviewed him a few weeks ago. But first, a note from Joss that explains why I won’t tell you what this cool thing was:

Joss Whedon wrote:I don’t talk about it specifically because I said to Marvel, ‘You can use this in another movie! Hold on to that!’

Lauren Gallaway wrote:Ruffalo also talked what types of scenes he would like to see in a standalone film, if such a thing was possible. Ruffalo said he would love to see Bruce Banner and The Hulk meet each other. "When I was doing Age of Ultron -- doing the Scarlet Witch acid trip scenes -- it really took me a long time to figure out what the Hulk would be afraid of. And then I realized, it was Banner."

It's being directed by weirdo-auteur Taika Waititi (Eagle vs. Shark, Flight of the Conchords, What We Do in the Shadows, upcoming stop-motion movie about Bubbles the Chimp), so it damn well better be funny. I'm not UN-interested btw, but until I see some footage I really don't know how to feel. I like both Thor movies okay, but they're a tier below their contemporaries (Iron Man and Captain America).

It seemed at the time that having Brannagh direct the first Thor film was an attempt to produce a highbrow mythology film series. In that vein, they never succeeded for me. I just never found the Thor films interesting. I enjoyed the character in the Avengers, but the solo films just lacked something for me. I love the ideas in the Ragnarok plot details - especially the humor. Definitely looking forward to this one.

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I think I'll go see this, although I've skipped most of the Marvel movies. I did see the first two THORs in the theater and thought the second one was pretty bland, but this looks kinda colorful and interesting and let's face it I saw that picture of Cate Blanchett lookin friggin' hawt and that's the actual reason I'm gonna go see this.

Ribbons wrote:It's being directed by weirdo-auteur Taika Waititi (Eagle vs. Shark, Flight of the Conchords, What We Do in the Shadows, upcoming stop-motion movie about Bubbles the Chimp), so it damn well better be funny. I'm not UN-interested btw, but until I see some footage I really don't know how to feel. I like both Thor movies okay, but they're a tier below their contemporaries (Iron Man and Captain America).

I think the Iron Man movies are over-rated, and the Thor movies have more emotional depth and character development than people give them credit for.

Jason Weiser wrote:Quite possibly the last episode on Norse mythology before we start on the epic showdown that is Ragnarok, this story has Thor earning a ridiculous facial feature and wetting himself in terror. Also, you shouldn't follow Loki into the wilderness, no matter how good the party he is telling you about sounds, and we'll learn how far is too far when it comes to idle, drunken boasts in the halls of the gods.

Neil Gaiman has long been inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction. Now he turns his attention back to the source, presenting a bravura rendition of the great northern tales. In Norse Mythology, Gaiman fashions primeval stories into a novelistic arc that begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds; delves into the exploits of the deities, dwarves, and giants; and culminates in Ragnarok, the twilight of the gods and the rebirth of a new time and people. Gaiman stays true to the myths while vividly reincarnating Odin, the highest of the high, wise, daring, and cunning; Thor, Odin's son, incredibly strong yet not the wisest of gods; and Loki, the son of giants, a trickster and unsurpassable manipulator. From Gaiman's deft and witty prose emerges the gods with their fiercely competitive natures, their susceptibility to being duped and to dupe others, and their tendency to let passion ignite their actions, making these long-ago myths breathe pungent life again.

looked for the Thor:Ragnarok thread but didn't see it on the first couple pages....which are mostly filled with latest posts of links no one gives a shit about, but just pushes real relevant threads back further and further.

this trailer is certainly distinctive, like it or not, I happen to dig it the most

What’s the balance between putting your own personal stamp on Thor while also serving a larger corporate beast?

TAIKA WAITITI: There’s definitely a challenge wanting to be true to what the fans want and to the universe itself, but also – I have to keep reminding myself that I was hired for a reason and one of those reasons is because of the stories I tell and the films I’ve made previously. I’m trying to unify my type of storytelling with this kind of content. Hopefully it all comes out really nicely in the end. I don’t want to make an episode of some other larger thing. It’s not my job to make sure that that this makes sense three movies down the tracks for one of the other franchises. My job is to make a film that can sit as a standalone piece, that if it’s the only Marvel film you see, it’s a great film with a great story in and of itself. The lucky thing is that there’s a bunch of geniuses who run Marvel that make sure, even if it’s a standalone piece, that it’s part of a great big jigsaw puzzle that could be appreciated as a whole as well.

When you came on board the film, how much of the story was in place and how much did you change?

WAITITI: There were already story ideas when I came on board, but a lot of that changed over the first three or four months. Right from the beginning, [Marvel] wanted to lighten [Thor] little bit and embrace the adventure aspect of it. The last two films, definitely the last film, were a little darker. Personally I feel if the movie’s called Thor, then Thor should be the best character. My main focus was making him cool & funny when he needs to be and heroic when he needs to be. If you’ve seen my other films, there’s always a balance between comedy and drama. I think that’s a satisfying story to watch.

Talking about that balance, do you find that in the script? Do you find it here on set? Do you find that in the editing room? Where does that come in?

WAITITI: Everything – really. I’ve always found the script to be a bit more of a skeleton, the template. We improvise most scenes. I’ll be next to actors and yell suggestions at them all the time, and that goes for everyone from Tony [Hopkins] to Cate [Blanchet]. It’s a bit messy, but from that messiness comes really great spur of the moment stuff. Then the main balance is found in the editing. So with most takes, I would do stuff that’s way over the top and then bring it down & get something that’s exactly on the page and then something that’s a nice sort of middle balance where the tone is believable…

What kind of Thor do we meet at the start of Thor: Ragnarok as opposed to the previous Thor films?

WAITITI: He’s a lot grubbier. I think everyone’s a bit too shiny and clean in the other films. I love heroes that really go through ordeals and then come out the other end completely changed. They come out the other side and they’ve been through the ringer. We do a lot to this character in the film. A lot of people want to see Ragnarok and know what it means; but, to me, Ragnarok means stripping down the establishment and then building it up in a new way. ‘Ragnarok’ is what we’re doing to the character and to the franchise and to the story.

It seems like the film is really inspired by Jack Kirby, Jason Aaron, and obviously Planet Hulk. Why those? And is there anything else you pulled from?

WAITITI: It was really Planet Hulk and we pulled a little bit from God of Thunder and the Gorr runs. I looked at all the stuff that I personally feel are the coolest in the comics. We should have that and we should have that and we should have that… But I think you can ruin things by staying too true [to comics]. With every comic run, there’s always a retelling. There are rebirths. There are alternate universes. This film is so crazy, so eclectic, and there are so many amazing characters – Hulk, Thor, Hela. Loki, Grand Master… It really is, to my mind, the craziest of the Marvel films – in a good way.

What are the challenges of continuing the Thor franchise specifically?

WAITITI: The main challenge was working at getting away from the other two films. Yes, the other films are there and it’s great to watch them. I think they’re good films, but I don’t mind if people start with this film. For me this is my ‘Thor One’. I’ve seen the other films and I respect them, but I can’t spend too much time thinking about this as a three-quel because then I’ll get tied up too much in respecting what went before and respecting what’s to come after. [Thor: Ragnarok] has to be a standalone film because this could be the only time I do this. I just want to make it [my] version of a Marvel film in the best way possible.

Well, speaking of that – you’re known for a recurring ensemble. We heard that Rachel House is coming back. Is anybody else that’s been in your other films in Thor: Ragnarok?

WAITITI: Yeah. There’s another actor, Cohen Holloway, who’s in all my other films. He plays one of the werewolves in What We do in Shadows and he’s in Boy. He’s been in all my films. There’s him… and I’m in it… I’m in all my films. I can’t help it. I’ll just jam myself in there if there’s a space.

Who do you play in the film?

WAITITI: I’m playing one of the Planet Hulk characters: Korg, who’s a Kronan and a bit bigger than me. It’s all mo-cap. And often, since Mark [Ruffalo’s] no longer here, I’ll often jump in for Hulk’s stuff. We have stand-ins, but they’re not actors and they don’t have timing so I’ll jump in for those things.

They introduce Surtur too, right?

WAITITI: I did Surtur as well, who will probably be re-voiced by someone else.

Thor seems much funnier in this film…

WAITITI: Yeah, Thor spent two years on Earth hanging out with Robert Downey, Jr. So he’s got some sass. He knows a little bit more about irony and sarcasm now. He’s got a little bit of Earth humor. He’s like a rich kid from outer space that’s spent some time slumming it for a bit, you know? So he’s instantly become a bit more interesting. But because he’s in different parts of the cosmos, he’s still learning as he goes. We haven’t modeled it completely on this, but in my mind, I imagined a great Thor being a bit like Jack Burton. What’s the version of Thor just wanting to get his truck back?

The film seems much more heavy on improvisation. What was it like to push the entire cast in this more comedic direction?

WAITITI: The thing that has surprised me about all the actors is just how far they can push it if they’re given permission to not do what everyone knows them for. It’s especially true for Hopkins. I think you can tell when actors are, like, ‘Okay, they just want me to do Tony Hopkins’ We said, ‘you’ve got permission to be funny and to really destroy what’s come before and recreate it.’ It’s something that everyone as an actor wants. It matters if you’ve done forty movies, you want to find work that’s interesting. You want to come to work and go — this is going to be a challenge. When I first met Cate, one of the first things she said to me was ‘I just want to punch people. I just want to do something where I get to have fun and my kids are going to enjoy watching.’

How is this pushing you as a filmmaker in terms of going to a bigger canvas with way more effects?

WAITITI: This may have spoiled me. When I go back to my smaller films, which I will, I’ll be, like where’s those nice ice coffee things they were handing out before? Why are we eating carrot sticks again? At first – I was a little apprehensive coming into something like this. I’ve done a lot of commercials and been on big sets before so I was okay with how that runs. What we’re doing essentially is exactly the same as all my other films. At the end of the day, when you call action, the lens is pointed at two or three people who are trying to remember lines and say them to each other in a convincing way. From Eagle vs. Shark shot all the way through to this, it’s the exact same experience other than that we have to do a lot more effects passes with balls and charts. I don’t get annoyed by how long this stuff takes because I’ve seen all these other films, and I know how good it can look, if you take the time to get that stuff right.

We’ve heard that you have been using music on set to create a vibe on set…

WAITITI: I play music all the time because silence freaks me out. I was trying to have a very relaxed set. Just more of a family-feel. We’ve got kids running around all the time. Chris’s kids are running around. Music – it’s motivational and just makes you relax

What’s your take on the villains for this film?

WAITITI: Cate is the first female villain and, if I’m being honest, for me, the most interesting villain that [Marvel’s] had because she’s not two-dimensional. She’s layered. She’s troubled. She’s really funny. Amazing powers…Thor in the films has never fought anyone tougher than this lady.

You were a supporting player in a big comic book movie that is viewed as having not worked: Green Lantern. Were there any lessons you learned as an observer and a participant there?

WAITITI: Not necessarily on that film. When I was in that film, I was just determined to try and do a good job. I spent a long time just sitting around on set, so I’d watch how Martin would run things and he runs a set very well and very efficient, but very different to the way I do things… I probably learned more watching a lot of other superhero movies and a lot of big studio films. I started realizing, ‘Oh, I think I know what’s going wrong with these films.’ Usually it comes down to story. We worked a lot on the script to make sure we got it right and to make sure it made sense. You could just bust on through and try and make your day. You get stuff in the can, but it’s worthless when you come to edit. So we just wanted to take the time to make sure we got stuff right. And all these actors are great at that. Chris especially is very smart and very savvy when it comes to story. I think he’s learned on a lot of the films he’s done. You’ve got to discuss it and you got to make sure you get it right the first time.

A review for Thor: Ragnarok that sadly sums up my feelings for most (if not all) superhero flicks these days:

I've reached a limit with facility, I think: a point at which things that are professionally executed and entirely meaningless just slide off into a kind of instant nothingness. I'm talking about machine-tooled product, a brand like Kleenex or Kellogg's, where the only time there's any awareness of its consumption is when the experience of it is unexpected in some way. There's a reason people see the Virgin Mary in potato chips sometimes... variation in extruded products is so exceedingly rare that it's akin to holy visitation; some accidental proof of the supernatural; a glitch in the Matrix. Marvel films are now akin to your daily lunch. You can remember the stray meal. Mostly, it's something you do knowing you've had one yesterday and are likely to have one tomorrow. If you're like most of us, you could probably eat better.

Thor: Ragnarok (hereafter Thor 3), is funnier than the usual Marvel product because it's directed by Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows), who voices a giant blue rock monster in the film. It also has a thing where the eldest daughter of Odin (Anthony Hopkins), Hela (Cate Blanchett), is the embodiment of death. In Norse mythology, "Hel" is the daughter of Loki. In the Marvel Universe, she's a total badass who, in various slow-motion battles, demonstrates her ability to throw magic knives and kill lots of people. She helped Odin do a lot of murder, apparently, before Odin banished her somewhere and took on the role of benevolent ruler. There's a parallel to this story as the picture begins with Loki (Tom Hiddleston), the trickster god and brother of thunder god Thor (Chris Hemsworth), pretending to be Odin and enjoying the pleasures of the crown. Anyway, if you wanted to you could make something of how powerful women are buried in history by the men who write the books. There's also a Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) who's a total badass, too.

If you care, Hela takes over Asgard and Thor finds himself marooned on a colourful junkyard planet presided over by a quirky character actor revelling in his dotage (Jeff Goldblum). There, Thor is forced into a gladiatorial contest against Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) who, a few lunchtimes ago, flew off into a wormhole or something, and so here he is! Surprise! if you haven't seen the poster or any of the trailers. They team up and go fight Hela to save Asgard. Meanwhile, there's some Asgardian guy (Karl Urban) who decides to work for Hela and shows off a couple of assault rifles he got in Texas. This would be funnier if assault rifles weren't killing Americans at a legendary rate, but yes, it's funny that Texas is still packed full of Texans. Urban's presence mainly reminds me that the better version of this sort of world-building is The Chronicles of Riddick, from which Thor 3 cribs not just Urban but also a scene where the conquering hero slumps in his new throne. Better would have been if Thor let Valkyrie sit in the throne but, you know, let's not get crazy with the empowerment stuff.

The best part of Thor 3 is a three-minute sequence on Earth where Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), now a Jedi Master instead of an apprentice, does all kinds of crazy shit to Thor and Loki. Incidentally, one of the post-credit sequences from a different lunch resurfaces here in its entirety; I've never seen that before. I don't, for what it's worth, understand the post-credits sequence of this film, but I'm sure I'll get it the next time I watch a movie very much like this one. I believe I laughed more during Thor 3 than during Avengers Whatever, although the jokes feel grafted onto it the way you would stick a tongue-moistened Cheerio to someone's forehead just because both the Cheerio and the forehead were there. Not much of the humour has anything to do with situation or character. They're just jokes. They're charming. And then there's lots of Marvel stuff that ties up a few strings while fraying a few others for next time. It's beautiful to look at, though. I'm sorry, what were we talking about?

I caught Thor:Ragnarok On Demand finally this weekend. I knew going into it this was going to be a "fun" comic book movie, but I didn't know it was going to be a full on comedy. It was actually a very refreshing change. I guess since it all happens on another planet/dimension/whatever I just didn't get bogged down on logic or reality or anything that normally dampens my experience in Comic Book Movies. Too many funny bits to go into, so I'll just sum it up that I thought it was a blast, kinda like watching an old school Arnold action movie (like Commando).

And I agree in principle with the review Ribbons linked to last year (most if not all marvel movies are mostly forgettable for me).

Ribbons wrote:A review for Thor: Ragnarok that sadly sums up my feelings for most (if not all) superhero flicks these days:

I've reached a limit with facility, I think: a point at which things that are professionally executed and entirely meaningless just slide off into a kind of instant nothingness....Marvel films are now akin to your daily lunch. You can remember the stray meal. Mostly, it's something you do knowing you've had one yesterday and are likely to have one tomorrow. If you're like most of us, you could probably eat better....

The best part of Thor 3 is a three-minute sequence on Earth where Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), now a Jedi Master instead of an apprentice, does all kinds of crazy shit to Thor and Loki. Incidentally, one of the post-credit sequences from a different lunch resurfaces here in its entirety; I've never seen that before. I don't, for what it's worth, understand the post-credits sequence of this film, but I'm sure I'll get it the next time I watch a movie very much like this one. I believe I laughed more during Thor 3 than during Avengers Whatever, although the jokes feel grafted onto it the way you would stick a tongue-moistened Cheerio to someone's forehead just because both the Cheerio and the forehead were there. Not much of the humour has anything to do with situation or character. They're just jokes. They're charming. And then there's lots of Marvel stuff that ties up a few strings while fraying a few others for next time. It's beautiful to look at, though. I'm sorry, what were we talking about?

I watched this on blu ray over the weekend and was reminded of why i loved it so much the first time. sure, it is definitely a comedy, but there is some great action and real heart as well, characters go through changes and are different at the end of the movie than they are in the beginning. that is more than can be said for most of the snobby drivel that ribbons spend their time fawning over.

one of the best comic movies to date, Marvel should do more galactic realm movies with Thor and Guardians characters.